The Elemental Wanderer
by ilovesos9467
Summary: The prophecy of the last Elemental Wanderer showed up almost 18 years ago. Could that prophecy be the reason that Rose's life is turned upside down while she is on the run with Lissa? Or could a certain Russian have something to do with it?
1. Chapter 1

_**New story that has been brewing in my head for a while now.**_

_**please review and let me know what you think!**_

_**Bare with me, the beginning is a little confusing. If you keep reading, I promise that it will start to make sense!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters**_

**March 19, 1992 - Unknown POV**

_A dhampir child, _

_born into a broken society, _

_befriends a spirit-weilding moroi._

_Great loss forms a bond,_

_breakable only by death._

_Her mate is her mentor, _

_her teacher, her true love;_

_Her salvation. _

_The last true Wanderer_

_will be the savior_

_of the Moroi World. _

Tonight, the prophecy has been set in motion, for tonight, the last true Elemental Wanderer was born.

My meditation was interrupted by the vision of the prophecy. I picked up the phone, and dialed the number of someone that I hadn't spoken to since I was younger. I knew that he would be able to get a message to the Her Majesty, the Queen.

"Hello." He answered.

"The last true Elemental Wanderer was born on this night. Her majesty must be informed of the prophecy. We must prepare for the battle to come."

"I understand. Do we know how to find this Wanderer?" He asked.

"The child is a Mazur. Finding her will be a challenge. He will not give up her identity to just anyone, even Her Majesty, the Queen." I replied.

"Very well."

I hung up the phone, and went back to my meditation.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the characters **_

_**Please review!**_

_**yes, I know it's short. No, the whole story will not be in diary form. There will be several chapters throughout that will be in this format though.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**January 11, 2009 - Rose's POV**

_Dear Diary,_

_23 months, 12 days on the run. _

_25 months, 8 days since the accident._

_2 months, 3 days until I turn 18_

_Lissa had another nightmare about the car accident that killed her family. It's always the same nightmare. The drunk driver swerves into our car, and everyone dies. What really happened is that Lissa survived the accident, and somehow, even though I died, she healed me. It created this bond between us. It's almost like we share a mind. I can hear her thoughts, feel her feelings, see what she sees, and she can do the same with me. We have no secrets with one another. _

_She's a spirit user, and I'm her shadow kissed bond mate._

_Shit! We've been found._

_-Rose Hathaway _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the characters**_

_**Please review! This longer chapter should make up for the two previous shorter ones :)**_

_**Enjoy! **_

**Rose's POV**

I was writing in my diary when the cat in the window seal started hissing at someone standing outside. The only time that damn cat hissed was at a dhampir. A dhampir outside my window means guardians; Lissa and I have been found. We have to run. There is no way that we can go back to the academy. It's not safe there.

Someone was threatening Lissa because she wields a rare type of element: spirit. When we left the academy two years ago, we didn't know that her element was spirit, and that I was shadow kissed. I'm shadow kissed because I died in the same accident that killed Lissa's parents and brother, but using her element, Lissa healed me.

Yes, healed. Each spirit user can have a different type of powers: healing, compulsion, making plants grow, reading auras and sometimes thoughts, dream walking, charming silver objects, sharing memories, and probably a hundred other things that we haven't discovered yet. Lissa can heal, make plants grow, use compulsion, and she is learning to read auras.

Since Lissa and I left the academy, we began researching her element. At first, we thought that she had just never specialized, but later on, it came to light that she wielded spirit as opposed to any of the other four elements: air, earth, water and fire. During our research, we have met 2 more spirit users. Oksana, who is married to her shadow kissed bond mate, Mark, knew that she wielded spirit, but Adrian, who happens to be the Queen's nephew, had no idea what spirit was. He had just assumed that he would never specialize even though he had strange powers. That's why he's tagging along on our journey to research spirit and why Lissa was in danger at the academy. He's been hanging around for almost a year now, much to my distain. He's had a huge crush on me since the day that we met, and he has no shame in the fact that he'd love to share my bed with me. That's never going to happen though.

I rushed out of the bedroom, diary in hand, and grabbed mine and Lissa's emergency bag. We always keep one packed just in case we were found. I made it into the living room, where Lissa and Adrian were practicing, as quickly and quietly as I could. No need to alert the guardians to the fact that I knew they were here.

"It's time to go. We've been found. There are guardians outside." I said quietly. Adrian surprised me then.

"Go. Be safe. I'll distract them while you two get out. I'll find you after."

I stared at him in shock. He was going to throw himself to the wolves, so to speak, so we could get away. His voice broke through my thoughts.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt me. I'm royal moroi, remember? The only thing they can do to me is haul me back up to Court, and my aunt would love for me to come visit." He smiled.

"Fine, come on, Lissa. We will go out of the side window after Adrian distracts them." I said after a moment of quick consideration.

Adrian walked out the front door as I shoved my diary in our emergency bag. There was no way that I was leaving that behind. After I heard Adrian speaking loudly to the guardians, making up some story about being pissed that his aunt was sending guardians after him. Needless to say, he confused them enough bring most of the guardians out to the front of the house.

I say most, because once Lissa and I got out of the window, we found a really tall, really handsome guardian waiting for us, like he expected us to use this window.

I studied our surroundings before I studied him. He was definitely alone on this side of the house. He was at least 6'7, as opposed to my 5'6, and it was obvious that he was strong, so I wasn't sure that I could take him. He had shoulder length brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and chocolate brown eyes that were gorgeous even in the dark. He was wearing the normal guardian attire.

If he wasn't in the way of mine and Lissa's freedom, I'd probably be drooling over his gorgeously godlike looks. He spoke before I could formulate a good plan.

"Hello Rosemarie, Princess. My name is Dimitri Belikov, and I'm here to take you back to the academy."

His russian accent made me want to melt. Thankfully, Lissa had come up with a plan. Over the bond that we shared, she informed me that since he was alone, she was going to compel him to forget that he had seen us. It was so simple and I couldn't believe that we hadn't thought of it before. I let Lissa take the lead, so she stepped forward.

"Well, hello, Guardian Belikov." Lissa said as she locked eyes with him. I could feel her lacing her words with sickeningly sweet compulsion. "I need a small favor or two from you." He nodded in compliance. This guy never had a chance against Lissa's compulsion. I struggled to keep from laughing at the ease in which he is complying. Lissa continued. "You will help Rose and I get away from the other guardians. We will not be going back to the academy tonight."

He nodded and spoke, completely under her spell. "Come with me Princess; I will help you get away from the other guardians."

Normally, I wouldn't trust him, but I trusted Lissa's abilities. We followed him as quietly as possible to avoid alerting the other guardians to our location. He led us away from the house, through the back yards of our neighbors. We finally made it to the bus station. Lissa decided that she wanted to keep the guardian around for now in case we were tracked down again. He would be a good distraction. She bought all three of us bus tickets to a town that was a couple hours away.

"Alright, Guardian Belikov. Call the other guardians. Tell them that you followed us, but we escaped. Tell them that you are going undercover because you think you have a lead on our location. Find out what happened with Adrian, the other guy that was at the house. Be discreet, and make it believable." Lissa said after she bought the tickets.

He did exactly what he was told to do, and handed over his cell phone, per my request. I didn't want him calling anyone. Apparently the guardians left Adrian alone, so he was still back at our place. He sat near the door on the bus while Lissa and I sat near the back. This gave me the perfect opportunity to ask the question burning in my mind.

"How are you going to keep this up? You don't have the strength to have him under compulsion forever."

"No, but once we can get back with Adrian, we can make him forget and just leave him wherever. If he manages to break out of the compulsion before then, then you can knock him out." Lissa replied.

"Have you seen him? He's built like a God, Lissa! There is no way that I could take him out!" I exclaimed. That's when an idea popped into my mind. "He was wearing a watch that looked like silver. Maybe you could charm it with compulsion. That way we could have him around for a while without you having to constantly dope him up with your powers."

"That's a great idea. When we get to the hotel, I'll call Oksana."

We rode in silence the rest of the way to the new town that we were stopping in. We found a small hotel, and rented a room with double beds. One bed for Lissa and I, and one for our new russian comrade. He stayed quiet unless he was spoken to, but I noticed that he watched me if he thought I wasn't looking; almost like he was checking me out. I didn't know whether it was flattering or creepy. I decided to make conversation while Lissa got detailed instructions from Oksana.

"Hey, comrade, what did you say your name was?" I asked.

"Dimitri Belikov. You are Rosemarie, are you not?" He replied.

"It's just Rose. The last guy that called me Rosemarie after I told him not to will never have kids. If fact, I think he may now be a she." I said, smirking.

"Then I shall call you Rose. Even though it is unlikely to happen, I'd like the possibility of having kids someday." He said. Good for him. He's smart. I was just about to say something else when he cut me off with another question.

"How did the Princess compel me? I can feel it, and I can't break through it, but I know it's there. I was trained to resist compulsion." I froze. If he knows that he is being compelled, he can break it. He might have already broken it, and is just waiting for a chance to grab a phone to call the other guardians. Shit. Shit. Shit. He broke up my mental tirade when he spoke again.

"I'm not going to call the other guardians. If you and the Princess have gone through this much trouble to leave the academy, then I'm not going to take you back until I know the full story." He paused, and I just stared at him. "I couldn't call them anyway. You were smart enough to take my phone. I have no way to contact them. I could just overpower you, and leave, but by the time I got to contact the other guardians, you two would have disappeared again. I'd rather not have my title stripped because I left my charge unprotected."

Before I had a chance to respond, Lissa walked over to us, oblivious to the conversation that just took place.

"What did I miss? Rose, you look like you have seen a ghost." Lissa said. My eyes never left the guardian's, but I responded.

"Get his watch, and make him sleep. Liss, we need to talk. Make it powerful. He needs to sleep for a while." I said, authority filling my words.

She did as I asked while I used the hotel phone to call Adrian's prepaid emergency phone. All three of us had one set up just in case something like this happened. I let it ring twice, and I hung up. By doing this, he would know that we are safe, and I would be napping so that he could dream walk me.

"Liss, I called Adrian. He should contact me via dreams. If I'm not awake in 45 minutes, wake me up. Try to charm his watch while I'm sleeping, but watch him. He knows he was being compelled."

She nodded, and I laid down. I don't remember falling asleep, but all of a sudden, I was back in the little town where Lissa and I met Adrian.

"Alright, Adrian, I don't have long. Lissa is waking me up in 45 minutes. We are in a hotel in a town called Bend. It's about three and a half hours from Portland-"

"I got that much when I traced the number you called from." He said, smirking at me.

"How did you- Never mind. I don't care. Anyway, Lissa compelled and kidnapped the guardian that intercepted our escape. She's charming his watch as we speak so she doesn't have to keep up the constant compulsion."

Adrian wasn't happy about my admission of kidnapping a guardian.

"Could you two have been any stupider? What if he breaks out of it, and turns you two in?" He screamed.

"Shut up, okay? If I wanted to be yelled at, I would've went back to the academy already!" I screamed right back. "We were going to knock him out, make him forget, and leave him whenever you got here. When are you getting here anyway?"

A look of defeat crossed his face.

"I'm sorry, Little Dhampir. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I won't be able to for a while. The guardians may not have dragged me back to court, but I know that I'm being watched. I can see their auras behind the trees."

Shit. Why can't anything work out the way that it should?

"Go back to Court. Stay there until they stop watching you. Contact me only through dreams. We will be fine until you can get away from there. I think we may go to Russia to visit Mark and Oksana for a while."

"Good. Use the account that I set up for you. No one knows that it exists, so they shouldn't trace it. Just in case they do, don't use the card. Only pull money from ATMs in places that you will be leaving from immediately." He stated. I knew all of this, but I know that him telling me again will help keep his worry at bay. The dream started to flicker.

"I'm being woken up. Visit me soon, Adrian. Be safe."

"I will, Little Dhampir. Be safe."

With those words, the dream faded and I woke up. As I did, I realized that Lissa hadn't woken me up. I woke up because I was nauseous. That meant one thing: strigoi were nearby.


	4. Chapter 4

_**hey guys (and gals),**_

_** I've been MIA the past few days because I had surgery. I went into the hospital with severe abdominal pain, and within 12 hours, I was in surgery. Turns out that I had a mass of cysts on my ovaries that was the size of a basketball. Now, I have about 20 staples in my stomach. Luckily, they didn't have to take out my ovaries like they thought they would. It's nice to know that I still have the ability to have kids some day. **_

_**Anyway, I'm back, but I probably won't be writing much considering how much pain medication that I have to take in a day to function somewhat normally. The only reason you are getting this chapter is because it was written prior to my surgery. Okay.. I'm done rambling now.**_

_**Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters **_

_**Please review! Reviews make me feel better :)**_

_**Enjoy! **_

**Rose's POV**

_Previously: With those words, the dream faded and I woke up. As I did, I realized that Lissa hadn't woken me up. I woke up because I was nauseous. That meant one thing: strigoi were nearby._

I quickly grabbed Lissa's attention and informed her of our situation. She put Dimitri's watch down, and she woke up Dimitri. She made sure to keep him under the compulsion that kept him from turning on us, but she told him about the strigoi nearby. We were all being as quiet as possible, as not to alert the strigoi that we knew they were close.

I made Lissa hide in the bathroom since there were no entrances to it other than the door from the hotel room. I grabbed my stake, and positioned myself in front of that door; Dimitri slowly walked over to the door that lead to the outside, stake in hand. Before he got there, the nausea in my stomach got immensely worse and three strigoi busted into the room.

Immediately two of them jumped towards Dimitri, and he began fighting them. The third attacked me. She was strong, but inexperienced, therefore I was able to use my speed and agility to stake her. I pulled my stake from her chest, and noticed that Dimitri was struggling with the two strigoi that had attacked him. They were obviously older, stronger, and more experienced than the strigoi that had attacked me, but the only reason that they were still standing was because it was an unfair fight; two against one.

Since both strigoi were focused on their fight with Dimitri, neither one noticed me coming up behind them to join the fight. With speed and strength that I didn't even know that I had, I staked the older male strigoi from behind. As soon as I did that, Dimitri matched my motion, and shoved his stake deep into the other male strigoi's chest, effectively killing him and eliminating the nausea in my stomach.

"There are no more. We're safe for now." I said, breaking the silence. I knew Lissa heard me, because she came running out of the bathroom, and engulfed me in a hug. I heard Dimitri softly chuckling at my expense. I glared at him, and he shut up. Good guardian.

"I'm fine, Liss. She barely touched me." I said, trying to get Lissa to let me go. When she refused, I added, "but if you don't loosen your grip, you might just crack one of my ribs. Seriously, I never knew you had such a strong grip." She finally let me go. Dimitri's voice broke the silence that had once again come over the three of us.

"How did you know that there was strigoi?" He asked, while staring at me like I was a science project.

"I'm just awesome like that, Comrade." I replied. There was no way that I was going to tell him about my shadow kissed abilities. I met his gaze, and there was a whisper running through the back of my mind; almost like my bond with Lissa, but this was different.

The whispers said: _I wish that she would trust me. I meant what I said; I won't turn them in or take them back to the academy. I-_

As soon as I broke eye contact, the whispering stopped. I glanced over at Lissa, and it was evident that she was oblivious to the whispers in my head. It was strange, because usually she could hear my thoughts, just like I could hear hers. I checked the bond, and confirmed that she was indeed oblivious to the whispers in my head.

I silently wondered what the hell was happening. Could my shadow kissed abilities be changing? Could I somehow read another person's thoughts if I met their gaze? Maybe I imagined it. That seemed like the most plausible answer, so I stuck with it, and forgot about the whispers as I turned my attention back to Dimitri and Lissa.

"We need to move. I'd rather not run into any more strigoi, and if they knew that we were here, then more will probably show up. Looks like you are going to be stuck with us for a while, Comrade." I turned to Lissa. "Did you finish the watch?"

She nodded, but before she could speak, Dimitri spoke.

"You don't have to continue to compel me, Princess. I will stay with you, and not turn you in without it. If you don't believe me, use your compulsion to make me tell the truth. I just have a few conditions."

I don't know whether I was more stunned at the honesty that I felt behind his words, or the fact that he thought he could demand conditions. Before I had a chance to object, Lissa started using her compulsion.

"Dimitri, I am going to ask you several questions. You will be completely honest with me." Lissa stated, locking eye contact with him.

"I will be completely honest." Dimitri repeated.

"If I agree to release you from my compulsion, what are your plans with Rose and I?" Lissa asked, compulsion still strong.

"I want to help you hide, and figure out why you ran from the academy. I want to train Rose, because although she has great strength and speed, she is lacking in skills that will allow her to take down a strigoi more effectively. I want to protect you both."

I was genuinely touched by his admission, but I was also kind of pissed. He insulted my skills. Lissa popped out another question before I had the chance to interrupt.

"What are your conditions?"

"I want to be told the truth, about everything, including your reason for leaving the academy. I want you to stop using compulsion on me. Lastly, I want to train Rose."

"Why are you so eager to stay with us?" Lissa fired at him.

"For one, Princess, you are my charge. I was assigned to lead the mission to find you, and bring you back to the academy because I was assigned as your full time guardian until Rose graduated. Then it was set so that Rose and I would have been guarding partners for you." He paused momentarily, and suddenly, he looked...shy? "For two, I have an attraction to Rose. I don't quite understand it, but I feel a...pull towards her. Almost like if I got too far away, it would hurt me."

Lissa and I both stared at him with wide eyes. Neither one of us knew how to reply. The longer I stared at him, the more I understood what he meant by that pull. I have been feeling it too, but I've been refusing to acknowledge it. The next words out of my mouth stunned all three of us.

"Turn off the compulsion, Liss. I trust him." Lissa did as I asked, even in her stunned state, but Dimitri's voice was what broke the stunned silence.

"Thank you." He only relaxed for a moment before speaking again. "We should move before we are found again. I assume that you girls have a new location in mind?"

"Yes, we do actually." Lissa said, looking at me with a smile.

"Where would that be, if you don't mind me asking?" Dimitri politely asked.

"We're going to Russia." I replied with a smirk.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Well, got my staples out only to have to be cut open again to drain my wound (which had been retaining fluid). It's gross, but now I have to start the healing process all over again. Wish me luck cause my life sucks right now. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters**_

_** Please review ! Your reviews make me feel better :) **_

_**Enjoy! **_

**On the previous diary entry, I messed up on one of the dates. It should have said '2 months and 8 days until I turn 18' not '2 months and 3 days'. Sorry about that! **

**_January 14_**

_Dear Diary,_

_23 months and 15 days on the run_

_2 months and 5 days until I turn 18_

_It's been 3 days of non stop travel with Lissa and our wonderful (note the sarcasm) Russian guardian. He has kept his promise of being a good little guardian (even though he is far from little) by not trying to turn us in or anything like that. He is, however, ever vigilant about always being in guardian mode. He doesn't speak unless he is spoken to or unless there is danger nearby (namely strigoi, but sometimes he is also wary of the occasional passerby)._

_I have tried time and time again to try to get him to relax and open up a little, but it never works. He doesn't smile. He doesn't laugh. Hell, I am starting to think that the damn man is a robot with his stupid emotionless mask that he always wears. Ugh. Stupid sexy Russian that I still feel this ridiculous pull towards._

_Every time I meet his gaze, I hear those whispers in the back of my head. I think that I really may be hearing his thoughts. I never hold his gaze for more than a few seconds, so I don't really 'hear' anything of importance. Mostly, those whispers are about 'protecting the princess and Roza'. I've had to stop myself from asking who Roza was, but I have a sneaking suspicion that 'Roza' is some version of Rose._

_I've also noticed that lately, Lissa is more oblivious to my thoughts. It's like she doesn't hear them unless I'm extra emotional or she is focusing on our bond. She doesn't seem to notice, though._

_Adrian dream stalked me last night, but the dream didn't last long because I had been woken up. The only thing that he got to tell me was that he was heading back to Court. As soon as I tried to reply, the dream faded, and I was woken by Lissa._

_We are finally in Russia, and tomorrow, we would be in Baia to meet up with Mark and Oksana. We haven't told Dimitri where exactly in Russia that we were going, and he hasn't really asked. We also promised him a full explanation once we reached our final destination in Russia. Strangely, he was okay with waiting until then._

_Anyway, it's time for bed. We have a long drive ahead of us in the morning._

_-Rose_


	6. Chapter 6

_**this chapter was written prior ro my surgery, so it's not beta-ed. Any mistakes are my own. **_

_**Hope you enjoy this new POV :)**_

_**Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters **_

_**Please review! **__**Your reviews make me feel better :) **_

_**Enjoy! **_

**Adrian POV**

After I talked to Rose in her dream, I decided to take her advice. I am back at Court to see my Aunt Tatiana, the Queen of the Moroi and Dhampir world. She wasn't expecting me, so I thought I'd make my visit a surprise. I wandered all the way to her office where I knew she would be, and her guards let me in as soon as they recognized me. I walked in like I owned the place because I'm one of the very few people that can do that without getting in trouble. Aunt Tatiana looked up at me in surprise, but her surprise quickly turned into happiness. Not many got to see her happy side like I do.

"Adrian! How nice of you to finally come visit me. You've been gone without so much as a phone call for almost a year now. Care to inform me how your travels were?"

"Delightful, of course. Otherwise, I would've come home long ago." I told her. I briefly wondered if I should tell her about my new found element. She always seems to know when I have questions, so she interrupted my wondering.

"I can see the wheels in your head turning. What has you thinking so hard?" She asked. Might as well trust her. She is more like a mother to me than an Aunt.

"What do you know about the element spirit?"

"I've heard of it, but I've never met anyone that wields it. Why?"

"Because I specialized in the element of spirit. It's just so uncommon that no one knows how to identify a spirit user except maybe another spirit user." I said, pulling out a cigarette. I can feel the darkness closing in, so I need relief.

"Are you certain, Adrian?" She asked, looking as serious as can be. Right now, she isn't Aunt Tatiana, she is Queen Tatiana. She has an agenda.

"Yes." I lit my cigarette and took a puff. "And now I see the wheels in your head turning. Care to enlighten me?" I said, using her words from a moment ago.

She didn't respond verbally, but she sent out all of her guards, and sealed the room. Now, the room is completely soundproof, and if any entrance or exit is opened, an alarm will sound. She pulled out a phone that I've never seen before, and called someone. After a moment, she spoke to whoever was on the phone.

"Bring the prophecy. I have found a spirit user." She paused, and looked at me. "Yes, I trust him." Another pause. "Okay." Then she hung up the phone. She turned her attention back to me as I finished and put out my cigarette.

"I was informed of a prophecy almost 18 years ago that involved a spirit user. Have you ever heard of the Elemental Wanderers?"

"No. Should I have?" I responded, curious.

"There is an old legend that says that these Wanderers are essentially the ultimate protectors of the Moroi and Dhampir races. There is only one born every century or so. The prophecy states that the last Wanderer is a female dhampir that is bonded with a spirit wielding moroi."

I was dumb struck. Rose and Lissa flashed through my mind. Could Rose be the next Wanderer? Rose was almost 18, so she fit the bill. I didn't want to believe it, mostly because I had fallen in love with Rose. I didn't have time to ponder it for long before there was a beep, and the sound of the door opening. I turned around to see Head Guardian Hans walking in with a folder in his hands. He must know the code to open the door after its been sealed. He looked at me, surprised.

"Adrian? You're the spirit user?" I nodded and Aunt Tatiana smirked. He spoke again. "Wait, you were in Portland a few days ago with the two girls from the academy."

I looked back to Aunt Tatiana who looked confused.

"The two girls from the academy? Hans, are you referring to the Dragomir Princess and her dhampir friend?" My aunt questioned. Uh oh. I'm in trouble now.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Adrian here caused a scene, allowing the Princess and her friend to evade us once again. The Princess's assigned guardian, Guardian Belikov, reported that he followed them, and is going undercover to attempt to follow a lead on their new location."

I tried my best to hide my laughter, but my aunt knows me all to well.

"Adrian, is this true? What did Hans say that you found so funny?" She was serious again.

"Yes and no. I helped them escape because I know that it's not safe for them at the academy. What is not true is what is so funny. Belikov is not undercover following a lead. He was basically kidnapped by two teenage girls." I can't lie to my aunt. It never works. I knew I was in the clear when my aunt started laughing.

"Hans, isn't Guardian Belikov one of your best guardians? How in the world did he manage to get kidnapped by a princess and her friend?" My aunt asked between giggles. Hans was pissed.

"I was unaware that he had been kidnapped, so I have no idea how they could have done it. He has been trained to resist compulsion, and I doubt that Rosemarie Hathaway could have overpowered him."

I snickered again. "Except that Lissa isn't a normal moroi. Her compulsion is stronger than most. Even with training, Belikov wouldn't be able to resist her compulsion. If he could, I'll bet that Rose is also tougher than you give her credit for."

Both Hans and my Aunt looked at me skeptically. I decided to prove that I know what I am talking about.

"Hans, have you been trained to resist compulsion?" I asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"I will demonstrate then. I'm going to compel you." I paused and again he looked skeptical. I met his gaze, and worked my skills. "Hans, sit on the floor." He sat on the floor, and I could feel him attempting to resist my compulsion. I held his gaze.

"Now, lay on the floor and roll over like a dog." He did just that. "Okay, now stand up." He stood up, and I let him loose. He suddenly looked scared of me.

"How...how did you...but I'm..." he stumbled over his words. I shrugged like it was no big deal.

"I told you."

"So, are you inadvertently trying to tell me that the spirit user that you met is the Dragomir Princess?" My aunt questioned. I nodded.

"The one and only. And no, I won't be giving out their location. I wouldn't count on Belikov being much help either. They plan on ditching him at their next stop. Trace my calls if you want, you won't find anything. The only way that we keep in contact is through spirit dreams. All of their money is in cash, and believe me, they won't be running out any time soon."

"Why are you so intent on helping them hide?" Hans spoke up. He was starting to irritate me.

"I care about them, and I believe them when they tell me that someone was threatening them at school."

Hans and my aunt shared a look. My aunt spoke.

"Adrian, is it possible that the Princess and Rosemarie are bonded?" I knew that they were, but I wasn't going to tell that to my aunt.

I shrugged. "If they are, they haven't told me." Which was mostly the truth. Rose nor Lissa ever actually told me that they were bonded. I seen it in their auras.

Both Hans and my aunt seemed to accept that answer. I thought back to what my aunt had said about a prophecy.

"So, what is this prophecy? I think I can help. Now that I know about my element, I can identify another spirit user by their auras." I said, speaking directly to my aunt. Hans then handed the folder to my aunt. She pulled out a piece of parchment that looked 100 years old, or older. She handed it to me. The paper said:

_March 19, 1992_

_A dhampir child,_

_born into a broken society,_

_befriends a spirit-weilding moroi._

_Great loss forms a bond,_

_breakable only by death._

_Her mate is her mentor,_

_her teacher, her true love;_

_Her salvation._

_The last true Wanderer_

_will be the savior_

_of the Moroi World._

"What is the meaning of date at the top?" I asked. The date was familiar, but I wanted to pretend it wasn't. It was Rose's birthday. I felt my heart breaking. There was no way that she could love me if she was the last true Wanderer.

"That's the date that I was informed of the prophecy. I believe it may be the Wanderers date of birth." My aunt answered with a sigh of defeat.

"What else do you know?" I needed some way to eliminate Rose, because there is no way that I could be her teacher or her mentor.

"She is the child of a Mazur. We researched this route though. We have yet to find any female dhampirs within the age range that fit the bill without raising any flags." Hans said.

"Have you asked for help from Zmey?" I hated asking, but when I was visiting Russia, I found that Zmey could be very useful if you were willing to pay his price.

"I wouldn't do business with him if my life depended on it." My aunt spat.

"Aunt Tatiana, our world may depend on it. He is a Mazur, you know. He may very well know exactly who our Wanderer is." I told her.

"I know exactly who Ibrahim Mazur is, Adrian. He is no one that you should be associating with." She snapped.

"Damn, he must have scorned you pretty bad. The only person that I've ever seen you get this upset about is-" My aunt interrupted me. Hans sat quietlyand watched our exchange.

"Adrian! Enough. I will not ask him for help. End of story."

That's when it clicked. The only person my aunt ever got upset over was the man that she fell in love with in high school. I checked her aura to be sure. Her aura told me everything. She loved Zmey; correction, she loves Zmey. He hurt her, though.

"Fine. I'll ask him. You don't have to get involved."

"No, you won't, Adrian. He is not who you think he is." My aunt sounded as if she was going to cry.

"Aunt Tatiana, I've dealt with him before. We have an agreement that my payment for him is strictly cash. How do you think I was able to take Lissa and Rose to Russia? They have a friend out there who also happens to be a spirit user. I haven't met her, but I've heard about her."

That left my aunt speechless. I glanced over at Hans; even his face showed that he was speechless.

"How long have you known the Princess and Rosemarie?" Hans was the first to speak. Again, I shrugged.

"Almost a year. I met them a week or two after I started traveling."

"You mean that I've had guardians exhausting leads to find those two for almost two years, and you've been with them almost half of that time?" Hans snapped.

"Yep." I smirked. "How did you find us in Portland anyway?"

"Someone happened to spot Rosemarie leaving the gym the day that I sent the guardians after them."

"Huh. Rose had told me that she thought someone had seen her. The only reason we were still there when you got there is because I convinced her to wait until morning to leave. You got lucky." I told him.

"Not lucky enough, apparently. You are here, and they are still missing." Hans muttered.

"Not missing, just in hiding. I know exactly where they are, and I can assure you that they are safe." I smirked. "Anyway, what else do we know about this Wanderer?"

"Just that her powers will start showing up close to her 18th birthday, or when she meets her mate, whichever comes first. Her powers won't be complete though until she is with child by said mate." My aunt reluctantly told me.

Great, if Rose is the Wanderer, she's going to get knocked up by her teacher. Wait, what if her teacher is another dhampir? That's not possible, is it?

"What if her mate is another dhampir?"

Everyone was silent, because no one had an answer.

"I don't suppose it's possible. According to the legend, every Wanderer has had a moroi mate. Then again, this Wanderer is supposed to be different, the most powerful. What makes you wonder that?" My aunt wondered out loud.

"The prophecy. It says her mate is her teacher and her mentor. I don't know any dhampirs that have moroi mentors. Novice mentors have always been school guardians."

"Excellent point. Now, I'm even more confused than before." Hans muttered.

I checked the time. Shit, I've been here over 2 hours. I'm supposed to be dream walking Rose right now.

"Okay, well I have a spirit dream to get to if we are done here. I'll be in contact with Zmey to find out if he will help me."

Neither my aunt nor Hans objected to my immediate need to leave, so I turned around and left. I headed back to my suite, and attempted to dream walk the girl that I'm completely in love with.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Haven't updated this in a while, so here ya go. I wrote it before my surgery, but I don't think I ever got it edited. This is the last chapter for this story that I have prewritten, so now I have to start writing again. Now that my pain medication had been decreased and changed, I'll be able to think and hopefully write a bit more clearly without having to ask someone to look over my work. **_

**_Anyway, this chapter is in Dimitri's POV. Hope you like it! _**

**_Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters _**

**_Please review! Your reviews make me feel better :) _**

**_Enjoy! _**

**Dimitri POV **

From the moment that I met Lissa, as she insisted on being called, and Rose, I was completely captivated. There was something about Rose that drew me in, and I was completely helpless to stop it. Not only is she beautiful, but her personality makes it hard not to like her. She's like a flame in the dark, and I feel like a moth that is drawn to said flame.

I feel a pull towards Rose that I've never felt towards anyone else before, nor can I explain it. The only thing that I know is that leaving her, being away from her, would hurt.

When Lissa compelled me, I told them the truth. I wouldn't leave them, turn them in, or do anything that could bring harm to them. I also admitted my feelings for Rose, even if I don't understand - or want to acknowledge - them myself. Since then, I've done everything in my power to remain in guardian mode; hiding my feelings, and keeping to myself without being completely rude. Rose has been trying to get me to loosen up, but so far, I've been able to resist. It hasn't been easy though; Rose is absolutely irresistible.

Wait, what am I saying? Am I seriously letting this 17 year old girl get to me? She's practically going to my student once we start training together. I can't be attracted to my student.

Irritated with myself, I turn my thoughts back to the situation at hand.

Right now, Rose, Lissa, and I were driving to our final destination in Russia; where the girls had promised that I would get a full explanation. I understood their need to wait to tell me because I knew that they wanted time to test my trustworthiness. So, I didn't question it, and agreed to wait patiently.

After some convincing, I had managed to end up being the one to drive. They had yet to tell me where we were going, but they were giving me directions. Honestly, if they had told me what town we were going to, I wouldn't need directions. We are only a few hours away from the small town that I grew up in and where my family still resides. Maybe I could convince the girls to let me see my family since we were so close by. By the looks of the road we were driving on, we wouldn't be going to far from Baia anyway. Suddenly, a thought assaulted my mind. Lissa was asleep in the back seat, so I addressed Rose.

"Rose..." I trailed off, trying to get her attention.

"Hmm?" She answered still somewhat distracted.

"How close are we going to be staying to Baia?" I asked.

Her head turned to look at me faster than I could comprehend. Her face portrayed a look of complete surprise before she composed herself enough to answer me.

"Why do you ask?" She asked nervously. Why was she so nervous?

"I was born and raised in Baia. My family still lives there. I haven't seen them in almost two years, and I wanted to know if we might could visit them since we are not far from there." I admitted. She stayed quiet for a few minutes. I was starting to be afraid of her answer. I didn't want her to think that I was trying to deceive her in some way.

"I'm pretty sure you will be able to see your family. I will have to talk to Lissa, though. We were actually hoping to stay in Baia with a friend of ours for a while." She paused. "I knew that you were from Russia, but what are the odds of you being from the town where we are going to seek refuge?" She gave a humorless laugh.

I didn't know what to say. Who did they know in Baia? It's a small dhampir community, so I knew everyone that lived there. Well, I used to, but I haven't been here in two years. Before I spent too long wondering, Rose spoke, effectively derailing my train of thought.

"Mark and Oksana."

"What?" I was momentarily confused.

"The couple that we know in Baia, their names are Mark and Oksana. They are-" she stopped herself abruptly before continuing. "Friends of ours. We met them while they were on vacation in the states."

"Oh." Was my genius response. I was too busy wondering what she was going to say to come up with a better one.

"Do you know them?" She asked.

"Yeah, I do. They are friends of my family." I replied.

"Good. I'm assuming that means you know where they live? I was going to call for directions once we got closer to Baia, but if you know the way, then we can surprise them."

"Do they know that you are coming?" I asked somewhat surprised.

"Yes, but Lissa and I never gave them an exact date of our arrival. We didn't know when we would actually get here considering that we are on the run and could run into trouble at any time."

After that, we were quiet while I drove. When Lissa woke up from her nap, we stopped for gas and snacks. I was thinking about finally seeing my family when Rose and I locked gazes for a few moments. She looked away quickly, and startled me when she spoke.

"What were you thinking about just a minute ago when we locked gazes?" She asked nervously. Her question surprised me, but I answered honestly.

"My family. I'm excited to see them after two years."

"Oh." Was her only reply. She didn't elaborate, and even though I wanted to, I didn't ask.

We got back on the road several minutes later, and after a while, we pulled up to a house that I had been to numerous times during my childhood.

"Alright. We're here. This is Mark and Oksana's house." I announced. "At least, it was the last time that I visited."

Rose and Lissa followed me to the front door, and we decided that I would be the one to knock. I knocked, and we waited. When the door opened, I was shocked by who had opened it. It wasn't Mark or Oksana; it was my grandmother, Yeva, and she had a smile on her face that easily stretched from ear to ear.


	8. Chapter 8

_**I know this is short, but I haven't written anything for this story in over almost two months. I'm just trying to get back into the groove, if you know what I mean.**_

_**also, I have to ask. Is this story not very good?**_

_**On almost all of my other stories, I have a TON of reviews and praise and stuff, but for this one, I don't. Should I even continue this story? I've also considered letting someone adopt this story. Maybe someone else can make it better than me. I don't know. **_

_**I'm just not very motivated with this story due to the lack of response. **_

_**Anyway...on to the story for the very few of you who do enjoy it.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters **_

_**Please review! **_

_**Enjoy! **_

**Rose POV **

When we got to the house that Dimitri believed was Mark and Oksana's, Dimitri was the one who knocked. He grew up in Baia, so it would be less awkward for him to be the one standing directly in front of the door if we had the wrong house. Well, that, and he knew Russian. Moments after he knocked, the door opened to reveal a very short, very old woman.

Great. We are at the wrong house.

"Babushka." Dimitri said, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Dimka." She replied; her accent was a lot thicker than his.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Dimitri enveloped the old woman in a hug. They started having a conversation in Russian, and I was completely lost. Several moments later, he finally seemed to remember that Lissa and I were standing awkwardly behind him. He turned around to address us.

"Lissa, Rose, this is my grandmother, Yeva." He introduced us while Yeva was busy giving me a menacing look. "Mark and Oksana are out back in the garden."

Yeva spoke again, in Russian, and made a motion for us to follow her. She led us through the house and out into a large, very beautiful garden, where we found our shadow kissed friends. As soon as Oksana spotted us, we were engulfed in hugs.

"Dimka, I haven't seen you in years." Oksana exclaimed as she hugged him. "How have you been?"

Dimitri seemed to finally turn off his guardian mode when he answered.

"I've been okay. Staying busy, as always. I am now Princess Vasilisa's guardian." He replied. Lissa groaned at her formal full name and turned on Dimitri.

"If you don't call me Lissa, like I told you to do, I'm going to make you call me Lissa." She snapped.

Immediately, I started pulling darkness from her to try to calm her down. As soon as I started getting angry, Mark pulled a silver ring from his finger, and handed it to me. I slipped it on my finger, and felt the darkness dabbling away and my anger shrinking.

"Thank you." I told Mark with a sigh. "Liss, you need to figure out how to make these little charms. They work wonders on your darkness." I smiled at her, and she nodded.

"So, what brings you three to Russia?" Oksana asked referring to Lissa, Dimitri, and I.

"Hiding out. Looking for a place to stay." I replied just as I noticed that Dimitri's grandmother had disappeared, probably back into the house.

"Oh." Oksana sighed. "Well, you are welcome to stay here if you'd like, but I'm afraid it will be a bit cramped. Mark and I only have one spare room." She turned her attention to Dimitri. "Have you been by your mother's house yet?"

"No." Dimitri answered. "We were going to stop by there later. I'm assuming it won't be a surprise since Babushka knew that we were coming."

"You never know. All she told us this morning when she showed up was that we were going to have visitors today. We kind of figured it would be our shadow kissed friends, but we were really surprised to see you, Dimka." Mark casually told Dimitri.

Lissa and I both froze as soon as Mark said 'shadow kissed'. We had yet to tell Dimitri about our bond, and I was hoping the comment wouldn't register to him. Luck was not on my side though, because Dimitri's head snapped towards where I was standing and our eyes met. Instantly, I heard whispers again.

_'Shadow kissed? Could they be? It makes sense. That's how Roza knew about the strigoi. They are bonded. Why didn't they tell me? Were they going to tell me? If they are bonded, that means Roza has...' _

I quickly looked away, breaking our gaze. If I really was hearing Dimitri's thoughts, I didn't want to listen to him thinking about me dying. Only moments had passed, but the tension in the air made it feel like hours had passed. Thankfully, Mark and Oksana seemed to notice the tension, so Mark spoke, looking directly at me.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't know that he didn't know."

When I finally got the strength to speak, I replied. "That's okay. We were going to tell him once we got settled. There's a lot that he still doesn't know."

Just then, Yeva made her appearance once again. When she spoke, she spoke directly to me.

"He must know everything, child. Then, you must return home. There is danger, but it's different than what you believe. Trust him. You will need him."

Yeva then turned to Dimitri. "Stay with her. Protect her. Without her, you will loose what you value most, and that will be her downfall."

She paused and turned to Lissa. "If you allow your judgment to become clouded, you will be the one to suffer in the end. Remember what and who is important, no matter who or what may come into the picture." Then she walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

_**I'm hoping that you guys with enjoy this chapter. It was kind of difficult to write. I believe that this is this first time that I've ever written in this POV, and I was struggling. This had to be added though, so I toughened up and wrote it. A/N at the bottom, simply because there is something that I want to explain :) **_

_**Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters **_

_**Please review! **_

_**Enjoy! **_

* * *

**Tatiana POV **

After the meeting with Adrian and Hans, I was even more confused than before. I decided that a visit to Rhonda, my psychic advisor/fortune teller, for lack of a better term, would hopefully help me clear up some of that confusion. Her father was the man who informed me of the prophecy all of those years ago when I had only just settled into the role as Queen, although he never told me who gave him the prophecy to begin with. He didn't have the same abilities as Rhonda, but from what I've been told, his mother and grandmother did. Seems like it only passed down through the females in his bloodlines.  
I walked into Rhonda's office without so much as a knock on the door, but she wasn't surprised. In fact, she expected me. She always knew when I'd be showing up; sometimes even before I knew that I'd be coming here. I stopped questioning it years before I ever became Queen, seeing as that Rhonda and I have been best friends since we were in grade school. Rhonda spoke before I could.

"You're confused." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes." I admitted as I sat down across from Rhonda. No one could bring me down from my high horse better than Rhonda ever could. Honestly, without her guidance, I'd have probably been thrown off of the throne years ago.

"Trust him, Tatiana. He's doing what is best for the time being." I was confused for a moment when she paused, but she clarified. "The girls are at a crucial step in their journey; one is which requires them to reveal themselves on their own." She was talking about Adrian, the princess, and her dhampir friend.

"Rhonda, that's not-" I stared to protest.

"But it is, Tatiana, and you know it. Trust Adrian's judgement; he's right about a lot of things." Rhonda demanded. Suddenly, I thought about how adamant Adrian had been to drag Abe into the search for the Mazur child.

"What about the prophecy and the legends?" I asked.

"The legends are wrong and the prophecy is only half of what it should be." The way that she answered me told me that she couldn't or wouldn't say any more on the subject, but I pressed for more.

"Do you know who she is?" I heard myself asking, desperation clear in my voice.

My best friend sighed. "I've seen her, but there was nothing to give her identity away." She paused. "The key to finding her is in the rest of the prophecy, the legends, and who you rely on for help." Again, Abe invaded my thoughts.

Abe and I met the summer before my senior year when I was visiting Turkey. We had a summer romance, and broke things off when I went back to school, only to realize that I'd fallen in love with him. I didn't see him again for almost 8 years. By that time, I had been Queen for a few years, and he had gained his reputation as Zmey. We spent hours together like old friends and I very nearly professed my love for him when he started telling me about a woman who had claimed his heart.  
He explained that he loved her with every ounce of himself, but she had left him because she didn't want to be around or associated with his dangerous reputation. At first, I was pissed at whoever this woman was because I could see how heart broken Abe was, but then I understood.  
As Queen, I couldn't be with him. We were literally on opposite sides of the law. Even if I hadn't been elected as Queen, I'm not sure I could still be with him, especially if I wanted a family.  
After that, we decided that it was best not to be seen together, and if we wanted to contact one another, it would be through our most trusted under the table messengers.

"Tatiana.." Rhonda whispered; right now, she was being my best friend, not my psychic advisor.

"I know, Rhonda. If anyone knows, he will. I just... I don't know if I can do it." I admitted. "I still love him, and he has no idea."

She grabbed my hand to comfort me. I knew what she was going to say now; she always said it when he was brought up. She always told me that we'd never have worked out anyway, but she'd never give me a reason. I cringed as she spoke softly, but her words surprised me.

"They are soul mates."

"What?" I asked, daggers shooting through my heart. "Are...are you sure?"

Rhonda always told me that she'd never use the term _soul mates_ lightly because she knew how rare it was for one of our kind to find our soul mates. She explained that she believed that the reason it was rare for a moroi to find their soul mate was because most moroi have a human soul mate, and our world does not mesh well with the human world. As for the dhampirs, most dhampirs have dhampir soul mates, but never get the chance to be together due to their relationships being frowned upon.  
I had tried to change that in the early years of my ruling, but the council wouldn't budge on the issue, especially since dhampirs couldn't have kids together.

"I'm absolutely certain. They play some part in the prophecy that hasn't been revealed to me yet."

"Do you know...who she is? He never told me..." I trailed off.

"No, I don't. I'm sorry." Rhonda replied, still holding my hand to give me comfort. Suddenly, her hand moved away from mine and wiped away a tear from my cheek that I wasn't aware had fallen.

* * *

***couple of hours later***

I picked up the phone, trying to convince myself that I had to do this. My entire world could depend on this phone call. After several minutes, I was finally able to dial his number and let the call go through. It was answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" Came the voice that I had fallen in love with so many years ago. I fought the tears that started to well up in my eyes.

"Abe." I breathed out after several moments. I was able to stand my ground and keep my composure in a room full of people, but he turned me into a lovesick teenager, just like I had been all of those years ago.

"Tati? Is that you?" He asked, Turkish accent shining through. I smiled even though he couldn't see me.

"Yes." I paused for a moment, remembering our last conversation. "Viski üst rafta olduğunu."** (I used google translate, but it's supposed to say '_The whiskey is on the top shelf._' in Turkish.)**  
When we last talked, we decided on a code phrase to use to verify our identities in case we needed to contact each other directly. The idea stemmed from the fact that we don't trust just phrase came from an ongoing joke from when we dated. Abe had always been taller than me, and liked to hide his whiskey on the very top shelf which had just been out of my reach.

"If you're calling, this must be pretty important." He stated.

"I need your help. Sooner rather than later. I don't have time to wait on my messenger to find you this time." Last time I had to contact Abe about some trouble he stirred up, it took my messenger almost 3 weeks to find him.

"How soon should I be there?"

"Yesterday, actually." I replied.

"Care to share?" He asked, sounding casual.

"I need your help scoping out your family tree." I told him, hoping he'd help.

"Ah." He paused. "Adrian mentioned something about that, along with some old legends and a prophecy. Interesting young fellow. I heard he was caught with the two run aways from Montana."

"He was, and he helped them escape. I heard that you were even involved with getting them out of the country." I accused playfully.

"Gotta have fun somehow, Tati. I've seemed to of lost them, though. They ditched my radar in America along with that Russian guardian. Where is he, anyway?" Abe questioned.

"We have no idea. He was kidnapped, for lack of a better word, by the princess and her dhampir friend. Adrian knows, but won't budge." Talking to Abe again felt natural. I knew that I could tell him anything, and he'd keep it to himself.

"What trouble is Adrian in for helping them?"

"None. I've decided to trust his judgment - for now at least." I said.

"That means that you've talked to Rhonda about it." He mused.

"If you must know, yes I did. That's also how I knew that I had to call you. Rhonda said that the legends are faulty and that I'm missing half of the prophecy. I really do need your help, Abe." I admitted.

I was enjoying our chat, but I was getting desperate for his help. He must have understood exactly how desperate I was getting, because the next words out of his mouth kind of shocked me.

"I'll be on the next flight out, Tati. We'll figure this out. I promise, but I have to go now. I need to call to arrange for a jet."

"Thank you." I whispered just before hanging up the phone and letting the tears fall down my face due to the realization of how much I missed the man who will never feel the same way that I do.

* * *

_**A/N - so, what I wanted to explain was why I made it to where Tatiana felt the way she did for Abe.**_

_**So, in the books, Tatiana never liked Rose much (or at least she acted like she didn't) and most people believe it's because of Adrian. My theory is a bit different. **_

_**What if Tatiana felt the way towards Abe that Adrian felt towards Rose? Now, we never got to see Abe and Tatiana interact since Abe didn't show up to court until after Tatiana was murdered, but that didn't keep me from wondering. Maybe Tatiana had feelings for Abe, but Abe never returned them because of Janine? **_

_**Tatiana had hostile feelings towards Rose before they ever met face to face, and I feel like it had to be more than the thought of Adrian and Rose hooking up. Especially considering that Adrian and Rose weren't even together when Tatiana verbally attacked her. I think that Tatiana was jealous, and was using Adrian's feelings as an excuse to show her distaste of Rose. Tatiana couldn't exactly take it out on Janine because Janine was always "the perfect guardian" that never got into trouble, so Tatiana never had a legit excuse to go after her, whereas Rose was more like Abe; trouble follows her around.**_

**_I feel like I didn't explain this as well as I wanted to, and I'm sorry for that. Feel free to pm me and we can chat about this if you have different theories. :) _**


	10. Chapter 10

_**It's my birthday, and this is the third one of my stories that I've updated today. Since I don't actually have any plans until tonight, what better way to spend my 21st birthday than to update all of my fanfics? Love you guys. Seriously, I do. :)**_

_**Disclaimer : I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters **_

_**Please review! **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Rose POV **

We stayed at Mark and Oksana's a lot later than we planned to, so instead of going to Dimitri's family home, we booked a hotel for the night. It was another room with two beds; Dimitri got one bed while Lissa and I would take the other. As soon as we got settled into the hotel room, Dimitri spoke.

"Time to explain." He said simply.

So, Lissa and I explained everything to him, taking Yeva's words into consideration. We told him about the accident, Lissa's and my abilities, our bond, the threats that Lissa was receiving at the academy, why and how we left, where we went on the run, what we learned about spirit, Adrian, and everything else up until the time that we kidnapped him, for lack of a better term.

He stayed quiet as he absorbed all of the information. I silently wondered if I should tell him about the extra strength and speed that I had when we fought the strigoi together and the possibility of me reading his mind.

I thought back to Yeva telling me that he needed to know everything, and wondered how much I trusted the crazy old witch. Dimitri obviously did, but that was his grandmother. If I knew my grandmother, I'd like to think that I'd trust her when she gave me advice. Finally, Dimitri spoke.

"Is that everything?" He asked, looking at me. I avoided meeting his gaze.

"Yes." Lissa said at the same time that I mumbled "Not exactly."

"What do you mean 'not exactly'?" Dimitri asked.

"I think my shadow kissed abilities are changing. Well, changing may not be the right word; more like expanding." I tried to explain. Now both of them are staring at me with confused looks. I sighed and continued. "When we were fighting those strigoi, I noticed that I was stronger and faster than I've ever been. I've killed 19 strigoi all together, but I've never been that strong or fast before, and it's not because of any training I've done recently because I haven't had time to train." I admitted.

"All the more reason to let me train you. I can help you refine those skills, and make you an even better fighter and guardian." He said and I met his gaze.

"This woman is amazing. Nineteen kills at the age of 17. I'm 24 and I only have 12 - err, 13 kills. She's not telling me something though. I can see it on her face. I don't recall Mark ever gaining any extra abilities from being shadow kissed. I wonder if she's talked to Mark about-"

I broke my gaze from his and spoke.

"There's more. I, uh, IthinkIamabletohearyourthoughts." I rushed out, looking back and forth between Lissa and Dimitri. Lissa looked like she wanted to laugh and Dimitri looked shocked.

"Rose, that's how the bond works. We have been able to hear each other's thoughts for a while now." Lissa said with a giggle.

"I'm not talking about your thoughts, Liss. I think I can hear Dimitri's thoughts when I meet his gaze." I said quietly.

"What exactly have you heard?" Dimitri asked.

"Not much. Lots of 'I wish they trusted me'. Some stuff about your family, but a few minutes ago, there was more. You think I'm amazing, which I am." I said as I flashed him a huge smile. "You knew that I was hiding something, and no I haven't talked to Mark about any of this."

Dimitri and Lissa both stared at me as if I had a second head. By the look on Dimitri's face, I'm assuming that I was right. I have been reading his thoughts. Dimitri let out a string of Russian words that would probably make a sailor blush.

"Hey, Comrade. Why aren't your thoughts in Russian? Not that I'm not glad they aren't, but I'm curious." I asked suddenly.

"Sometimes they are, Roza. Just depends on who or what I'm thinking about." He replied. "Generally, whatever language I am speaking, I am thinking in the same language."

Well, that was simpler than I expected his explanation to be. Just then, Lissa consulted me over the bond.

_Why didn't you tell me that you've started reading minds? That's kind of cool._

_I wasn't sure yet, and it's only Dimitri that I've been able to read so far. I tried with Mark and Oksana, but nothing happened. _

_Maybe you have some kind of connection to Dimitri. He admitted feeling a pull towards you, and based on your thoughts, I know that you feel it too._

_Maybe. What do you think about his grandmother's wise words? He trusts her, and I trust him, but I don't know if we should go home. _

_Let's stay in Baia for a week, and try to get some research done on your new abilities, then we can talk about going back. I think it's time, though. We've been gone for two years. _

_We'll see. Let's-_

Lissa and I were pulled away from our mental conversation when Dimitri cleared his throat.

"Am I interrupting?" He asked with a small smile.

"Just discussing what to do next." I told him.

"Which is?"

"We're going to stay in Baia until further notice and do some research on Rose's new abilities. So far, you're the only person, aside from me, whose thoughts Rose can hear." Lissa stated.

"After we figure out what's going on and why, we're probably going to follow your grandmother's advice and go back to the academy." I said.

"Okay." He paused. "Why do you think that I'm the only one, aside from Lissa, whose thoughts you can hear?" Dimitri asked.

"Remember that pull you mentioned?" He nodded. "I feel it too. Lissa suggested that you and I may have formed some kind of connection."

"Makes about as much sense as anything that I could think of, but I guess you knew that already." Dimitri remarked.

"Actually," I retorted. "I didn't. I have to make eye contact with you to hear your thoughts. That's why I try to avoid your gaze when you look at me. Having someone know all of your personal thoughts is not always fun, and it's a major invasion of privacy. As long as we avoid eye contact, I should be able to stay out of your head."

"That's a relief." He muttered.

"Now, on to better topics; someone should feed me. I'm hungry." I told them.


End file.
